Pop Up Fast and
Catch a Wave!

Now you have made it out to the spot you identified on the
shore as your take-off area, you are ready to ride a wave. To do that
you will need to paddle into position, paddle hard to get your speed up
and pop up when you feel the surfboard start to slide with the wave.
Notice in surfing we don't say “slowly, move yourself from a prone
position like an old man, to eventually get to your feet, by maybe
putting a knee down first and tentatively pushing the rest of your body
up off the board”. We don't even say “now stand up”. It's called a pop
up because that is what you've got to do. Do the pop up fast and get
into your surf stance quickly. New surfers who are learning how to surf can be tentative in the pop
up. Sometimes it's because the beginning surfer is worried about
pearling. Well, the faster you pop up the less chance you'll have of
"pearling". The first
thing you will need to do is determine which foot
will be your front foot on the surfboard.

Natural
Stance or Goofy Foot?

You will need to determine which foot is your front foot
on the
surfboard. There are a couple of things you can experiment with to
determine which will be your front foot on your surfboard.

Think about going down a set of stairs, which foot would
you
put on the first step down? That is the foot you put forward on your
surfboard.

Another test you can do is stand with your feet fairly
close
together and have someone push you (gently now) from behind. The foot
that goes forward to stop you from falling would be the foot you put
forward on the surfboard.

If it is your left foot that is forward on the board, you
have
what is referred to as normal stance. If it is your right foot that is
forward, this is known as goofy foot. It sounds like an insult, it's
not, so don't sweat it if you're goofy foot.

Now that you know which foot you are going to place
forward on
your surfboard, you will attach the surf leash to your rear foot. When
you attach the surf leash, you will want to make sure that the part
where the neoprene attaches to the velcro is on the outside of your
leg. Don't attach it so it is facing inward, it just gets in your way
when you try to stand up (pop up) on your surfboard.

Popping
Up (Stand Up On A Surfboard)

As you feel your surfboard begin to accelerate with the
wave
take two more good hard paddles. Now put your hands on the rails just
below your chest and push
your chest up hard arching your back. Then swing your feet in one
motion to a crouched position, with your front foot forward. You don't
want to be standing erect, it's too easy to lose your balance, keep
low. Your chest should be facing forward and your feet at right angles
to the centerline (stringer) of the surfboard. You really
need to focus on executing the pop up quickly and smoothly.

Before I discuss what a good surf stance should be, first
take a look at the following video, it shows the correct way to do a
pop up.

The Surf Stance:

The goal of the pop up was to get you
quickly to your feet on your surfboard. The position you want to
be in after executing the pop up maneuver is going to be your surf
stance. Ideally, you will be in this position without needing to adjust
your feet after performing the pop up.

Your feet should be at least shoulder width apart or
even a little wider and at a right angle to the centerline of the
surfboard. A wide stance will give you more stability on
the surfboard. If you have ever done martial arts, you'll know
what I'm talking about here. Your stance gives you strength and
stability. Your chest should be facing forward and
your arms extended for balance. Keep those knees bent in the crouched
position. These things will give you stability on the surfboard.

So, your feet are in position, your knees are
bent and you are in a crouched power position with your chest facing
forward on the surfboard and your arms are extended you're all
set.
GO FOR IT! YOU'RE ON YOUR FEET AND SURFING!!!

The surf stance is a very important part of surfing once you get to the point where you
are surfing the unbroken waves (wave faces). For a more thorough look at the surf stance and some of it's finer points
you can check out the page surf stance. It gives advice on improving
your balance/stability after popping up and getting into your surf stance.